Too Late for Love - Part 3 (H/D, PG-13)
Title: Too Late for Love - Part 3
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 1000
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Summary: Draco hopes it's not too late.
Challenges: Written for the AWDT's prompt #11 of If you love somebody, tell them.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Click here to start at the beginning.
Too Late For Love - Part 3
"Draco!"
Draco lifted himself up, only to flop back down on the pillow, his head reminding him painfully of the amount of Ogden's he'd consumed the night before.
"Draco, where are you?" He managed to recognise the voice as Pansy's. What was she doing screeching at him first thing in the morning?
"In here," he grumbled.
"Oh, you are in rough shape," she said. "I wasn't sure if you were going to cancel on me."
Cancel? What was she talking about? And how did she get in here? Hadn't he warded everything? Oh. He'd forgotten to lock the Floo. Lovely.
She let out an exasperated sigh. "Brunch … with Mother. Remember?"
Ah, yes. He had forgotten.
"You really do look a fright, Darling. Did you manage any sleep at all?"
"A bit." He dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the ensuite. "Hangover potion," he explained as he brushed past.
"Ah."
"How long do I have?" he asked.
"We should leave in thirty. I tried calling, but you didn't answer. I presumed you were out and that you were going to cancel, but I decided to Floo directly over to be sure."
"Not cancelling," he grumbled. It would do him some good to get out of the house, get his mind off Harry. Get his mind off the mess he'd made of his life. "I'll have a shower. Be a love and put some tea on?"
"Sure."
Draco managed to down the vile potion. After a few moments, the aches were gone along with the nausea. Feeling only a little fuzzy, he stepped into the hottest shower he could manage.
The water was scalding, but invigorating. He scrubbed his hair with his favourite shampoo, its scent joining with the steam and going a long way towards clearing his head.
After a good ten minutes, he felt better, nearly himself. He climbed out, towelled himself off, and put on a casual outfit, one perfect for the Parkinson's semi-annual brunch.
"Ah … you look much better, Darling." Pansy handed him a steaming mug of tea as he entered the kitchen. "It's extra strong, just how you like it."
Draco took a sip and savoured the burn as he swallowed. "Perfect. Thanks."
"Any time," she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm actually surprised you didn't cancel."
"Oh, and why is that?"
She looked at him strangely … almost as if she felt sorry for him. What did she think? That Valentine's Day would be his undoing? That he wouldn't be able to cope? Recalling how he'd spent his evening, and how he felt when he awoke, he thought perhaps she wouldn't be far off the mark.
But he wouldn't stop living. Harry had made himself perfectly clear by not showing up last night, so there was no point in dwelling on it. Draco could spend his evenings wallowing in what might have been, but outwardly, he would face the world head-on. Maintain a stiff upper lip and all that rot.
"Look, Draco, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, and how difficult it must be not to be with him right now. I really thought you would be, despite what's happened. I know it was a difficult thing for you, and I know you cared more than you'd ever admit to anyone." She gave him that look again. "I know you loved him, and much as it pains me to admit, I know that he loved you too. Very much so. I thought - I'd hoped, actually, that you'd get back together --"
"Pansy, stop. Please. Just … stop. I --" Draco wasn't sure what he wanted to say, so he sipped his tea. Pansy graciously let him stall. "Pansy, I fucked up. Badly. I'm not saying that Harry was perfect, but … well, I never really told him how I felt."
"Oh, honey." She took him in her arms and hugged him. "If you love somebody, you really need to tell them. You should know that. And it's not like it would have been a risk to do so. Everyone knew he loved you; how could we not? It was written all over his face."
Draco knew she was trying to help, but her words sliced through him. He knew all of this. Did she have to remind him of what he lost? "Pansy --"
"No. Let me finish. I also knew how you felt, so I'm sure he did too. But I saw him sometimes when Blaise was with us. He looked just a little unsure of himself. I think he was jealous, maybe afraid that you might go back to Blaise someday."
"I would never --"
"I know that. But I suspect he just needed to be reassured. You can still do that, give him that reassurance, tell him how you feel."
"No, Pansy. I can't. It's too late."
"What do you mean it's too late?"
"I reached out to him, sent him a letter. We were supposed to meet - one last chance for me to tell him how I feel - but he never showed up."
"I can't believe that. He loved you so much, Draco."
"Well, believe it. He stood me up."
"That doesn't sound like something Potter would do."
"On Valentine's Day, no less," Draco muttered. He winced at how needy his voice sounded.
"What?!"
"Yeah. He didn't call, didn't owl, didn't --"
"You mean you don't know?" she interrupted him.
"Know what?"
"Oh my God, Draco, that's why I thought you'd cancel … why you weren't answering … why I thought you weren't home."
She was making no sense. "What are you on about?"
"Potter. He was hit by a curse at work yesterday. He's at St. Mungo's."
"What?!" Draco shot up out of his seat. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I thought you knew. It's been all over the news. I thought --"
"I didn't know … I didn't …" Draco grabbed his cloak from the hall closet. "I've got to go. You'll see yourself out?"
"Of course."
Draco barely heard her words as he Apparated to the main entrance of St. Mungo's.
Part 4
Author: sesheta_66
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 1000
Pairing/Characters: Harry/Draco
Summary: Draco hopes it's not too late.
Challenges: Written for the AWDT's prompt #11 of If you love somebody, tell them.
Disclaimer: The characters contained herein are not mine. They belong to JK Rowling and her publishers. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.
Click here to start at the beginning.
Too Late For Love - Part 3
"Draco!"
Draco lifted himself up, only to flop back down on the pillow, his head reminding him painfully of the amount of Ogden's he'd consumed the night before.
"Draco, where are you?" He managed to recognise the voice as Pansy's. What was she doing screeching at him first thing in the morning?
"In here," he grumbled.
"Oh, you are in rough shape," she said. "I wasn't sure if you were going to cancel on me."
Cancel? What was she talking about? And how did she get in here? Hadn't he warded everything? Oh. He'd forgotten to lock the Floo. Lovely.
She let out an exasperated sigh. "Brunch … with Mother. Remember?"
Ah, yes. He had forgotten.
"You really do look a fright, Darling. Did you manage any sleep at all?"
"A bit." He dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the ensuite. "Hangover potion," he explained as he brushed past.
"Ah."
"How long do I have?" he asked.
"We should leave in thirty. I tried calling, but you didn't answer. I presumed you were out and that you were going to cancel, but I decided to Floo directly over to be sure."
"Not cancelling," he grumbled. It would do him some good to get out of the house, get his mind off Harry. Get his mind off the mess he'd made of his life. "I'll have a shower. Be a love and put some tea on?"
"Sure."
Draco managed to down the vile potion. After a few moments, the aches were gone along with the nausea. Feeling only a little fuzzy, he stepped into the hottest shower he could manage.
The water was scalding, but invigorating. He scrubbed his hair with his favourite shampoo, its scent joining with the steam and going a long way towards clearing his head.
After a good ten minutes, he felt better, nearly himself. He climbed out, towelled himself off, and put on a casual outfit, one perfect for the Parkinson's semi-annual brunch.
"Ah … you look much better, Darling." Pansy handed him a steaming mug of tea as he entered the kitchen. "It's extra strong, just how you like it."
Draco took a sip and savoured the burn as he swallowed. "Perfect. Thanks."
"Any time," she said and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm actually surprised you didn't cancel."
"Oh, and why is that?"
She looked at him strangely … almost as if she felt sorry for him. What did she think? That Valentine's Day would be his undoing? That he wouldn't be able to cope? Recalling how he'd spent his evening, and how he felt when he awoke, he thought perhaps she wouldn't be far off the mark.
But he wouldn't stop living. Harry had made himself perfectly clear by not showing up last night, so there was no point in dwelling on it. Draco could spend his evenings wallowing in what might have been, but outwardly, he would face the world head-on. Maintain a stiff upper lip and all that rot.
"Look, Draco, I know you probably don't want to talk about it, and how difficult it must be not to be with him right now. I really thought you would be, despite what's happened. I know it was a difficult thing for you, and I know you cared more than you'd ever admit to anyone." She gave him that look again. "I know you loved him, and much as it pains me to admit, I know that he loved you too. Very much so. I thought - I'd hoped, actually, that you'd get back together --"
"Pansy, stop. Please. Just … stop. I --" Draco wasn't sure what he wanted to say, so he sipped his tea. Pansy graciously let him stall. "Pansy, I fucked up. Badly. I'm not saying that Harry was perfect, but … well, I never really told him how I felt."
"Oh, honey." She took him in her arms and hugged him. "If you love somebody, you really need to tell them. You should know that. And it's not like it would have been a risk to do so. Everyone knew he loved you; how could we not? It was written all over his face."
Draco knew she was trying to help, but her words sliced through him. He knew all of this. Did she have to remind him of what he lost? "Pansy --"
"No. Let me finish. I also knew how you felt, so I'm sure he did too. But I saw him sometimes when Blaise was with us. He looked just a little unsure of himself. I think he was jealous, maybe afraid that you might go back to Blaise someday."
"I would never --"
"I know that. But I suspect he just needed to be reassured. You can still do that, give him that reassurance, tell him how you feel."
"No, Pansy. I can't. It's too late."
"What do you mean it's too late?"
"I reached out to him, sent him a letter. We were supposed to meet - one last chance for me to tell him how I feel - but he never showed up."
"I can't believe that. He loved you so much, Draco."
"Well, believe it. He stood me up."
"That doesn't sound like something Potter would do."
"On Valentine's Day, no less," Draco muttered. He winced at how needy his voice sounded.
"What?!"
"Yeah. He didn't call, didn't owl, didn't --"
"You mean you don't know?" she interrupted him.
"Know what?"
"Oh my God, Draco, that's why I thought you'd cancel … why you weren't answering … why I thought you weren't home."
She was making no sense. "What are you on about?"
"Potter. He was hit by a curse at work yesterday. He's at St. Mungo's."
"What?!" Draco shot up out of his seat. "Why didn't you say something?"
"I thought you knew. It's been all over the news. I thought --"
"I didn't know … I didn't …" Draco grabbed his cloak from the hall closet. "I've got to go. You'll see yourself out?"
"Of course."
Draco barely heard her words as he Apparated to the main entrance of St. Mungo's.
Part 4